A fellow Carnicería Connoisseur sent me this e-mail on November 16:

Robb,

Any recommendations for a good one (carniceria) to try in SW Houston? I am a teacher and have a two year old, so I don't have as much time to try as many new places (alone) like I used to.

Howard L. Rushing

Howard,

You’re in luck. Southwest Houston probably has more good carnicerias than any other part of town. At the intersection of Bissonnet and Wilcrest, just outside Beltway 8, you’ll find Celaya #4 and Carniceria Villagran within a few blocks of each other.

I had breakfast at Celaya #4 yesterday. There weren’t any eggs on the steam table, but the lady behind the counter was happy to cook some up fresh. We got three potato and egg and three chorizo and egg tacos which we doused with a green chile sauce. We also got two chile rellenos, one stuffed with cheese and one stuffed with ground beef picadillo.

The stuffed chiles were $2.25 each and they were wonderful. I asked the cook to nuke them so they were good and hot. The best part was the muy picante “shoulder” of the poblano chile around the stem. I liked the picadillo one better, but my dining companion preferred the cheese.

Six tacos, two chile rellenos, a coffee and a large orange agua fresca cost $13 and change.

The Celaya name has been removed from the building and the business cards read “La Morenita” so this meat market may be in for a name change.

Sincerely,

Robb Walsh

Celaya Meat Market #4, “La Morenita,” 10880 Bissonnet, 832-351-3094